It's a Girl?
by JessieJay13
Summary: Harry and Malfoy are gay but won't tell each other until Harry gets turned into a girl. It starts out fluffy but I'm not sure where it's going. Review appreciated...OVER 10,000 READS! YAY!
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Harry glanced over at the blonde Slytherin sitting on the other side of the potions classroom. His skin was a creamy white, his hair was so light it was nearly white but now had darker, sun-kissed highlights and hung gracefully in his face. His chin was prominent but not unpleasantly so and his eyes were a beautiful shade of blue-gray, the color of the sea after a storm. Harry sighed, turning his eyes back to his potion, which had already taken a turn for the worse.

The Health Potion was supposed to be a crystal pink and smell of lilacs but his was now a lime green that smelled of puke. _Why hasn't Snape cleared my horrid potion yet? _Harry though to himself, glancing at Snape, who was currently complimenting Blaise on his 'perfect' potion even though his was purple. Snape abruptly turned to look at him, a piercing gaze that startled Harry into dropping the powdered unicorn horn he was measuring. He quickly picked it up and dumped it into his cauldron, not checking to see if it was the right amount.

His potion immediately started to sizzle quietly and then, quite suddenly, it exploded with a loud 'BANG' and thick white steam quickly filled the entire room, obscuring all vision. Harry was blown back with a thud. He felt a strange tingling sensation spread throughout his entire body and shook his head, trying to clear it. The smoke cleared and Harry heard an audible gasp. He looked around, confused.

'What are you all staring at?' he asked, his voicing sounding a bit odd, even to him. His voice had never been a bass, or anything, but it sounded a little higher than usual. Hermione came forward and pulled him to his feet. He felt very different, lighter, thinner, differently proportioned, and he felt something swaying and brushing against his back as he moved.

'Um, Harry?' she whispered tentatively, so only they could hear. 'I don't know exactly how to tell you this, but…you're a girl,' she said, looking at him in a funny way. Harry glanced down at his body and, with a shock, couldn't see past his chest; he had breasts…big ones. His T-shirt hung loose and it was lucky he was wearing a belt because his jeans were nearly falling off his new, petite frame.

'Potter, go to the hospital wing and see if you can get this sorted out,' Snape said, just barely suppressing a derisive chuckle. Harry looked around and saw that most people were going just that; laughing. Only two people did not seem amused by his predicament. One was Ron, and the other, surprisingly, was Malfoy. Malfoy was staring at him in a very odd, indiscernible way. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were wide.

'Come on, Harry,' Hermione urged, pushing him in the small of the back to get him out the door. Ron followed behind nervously. 'I'm not sure what you did to your potion, Harry, but I don't know if Madam Pomfrey will be able to fix it anytime soon,' Hermione said, stepping up to walk beside him, Ron coming up on the other side, looking very uncomfortable, avoiding his eyes.

'What's up, Ron?' Harry asked. Ron still didn't look at him when he spoke.

'Well, you know, it's just sort of awkward,' he replied, his voice sounding a bit strained. 'I never have been all that savvy with girls, or anything, so…now that you're a girl…it's just really awkward, okay?' Harry nodded, looking down, discomfited as well.

Hermione cleared her throat and led Harry by the hand into the Hospital Wing. She flagged down Madam Pomfrey, who pushed Harry down on one of the many crisp white beds and began to examine him, asking loads of questions about the potion, what went wrong, how he felt now, what he planned to do. Harry didn't have many answers. After an hour, the examination was through and Madam Pomfrey instructed Hermione to lend Harry some of her clothes until Harry could buy his own clothes, female clothes.

The walk back up to Gryffindor Tower was silent and difficult for all involved. Harry was very confused with the rush of female emotions he was getting, as they were all completely new to him. Ron was, as was mentioned, very ill-at-ease with Harry's new femininity. Hermione was a little uncomfortable as well but more curious as to how well the others would handle it. They clambered through the portrait hole, relieved to see that everyone else was still in class, and Hermione dragged Harry up to her room.

'Okay, Harry,' Hermione said, sitting him down on her bed. 'You need clothes. I'll lend you some of mine, but we need to talk to McGonagall about letting us go to Hogsmeade or somewhere to get you some of your own because me and you are proportioned a bit differently so they might not fit exactly right but with a little tailoring they will probably work. First you will definitely need some underwear and a couple of bras. We will certainly need to buy you some of your own soon because mine won't fit you too well,' she said, giggling a bit and eyeing Harry's new and impressive chest. 'I think you're about a C cup. I'm a B. I'll explain sizing later. Then you need shirts. Do you want short sleeved or long?' Hermione asked holding up a few choices.

'Um…depends on the day. Just throw in a couple of each, I guess,' Harry answered vaguely. Hermione tossed a few shirts into a suitcase and pulled out some skirts and a few pairs of pants.

'Short skirt or long?' she asked. Harry gave her a 'look' and Hermione nodded, throwing in three longer skirts, about knee length. 'Shorts, Capri's, slacks or jeans?' Harry chose one pair of slacks, two pairs of jeans of different shades of blue and one pair of white Capri's. 'Now shoes.'

'What's wrong with my trainers?' Harry asked, not wanted to give them up. They were comfortable.

'Do you think those will match with any of these outfits?' Hermione asked, giving Harry a knowing look. 'What's more, they probably won't fit anymore. Girls typically have smaller feet than boys do. I think these trainers might fit you and so will these flip flops and these sandals,' she said, throwing them all in the bag. 'Now go put these on,' she said, tossing a pile of clothes to him. He carried them to Hermione's bathroom.

Harry shut the door and at last looked at himself in the mirror. He was hot! He still had the same eyes he had always had but his ebony hair was now, instead of short and messy, long and sleek with a slight curl to it. It fell to just past his shoulder blades. He had high cheekbones and soft features. He had a very nice body with all the right curves in all the right places.

Harry took everything off, careful to avoid looking at himself while doing so; even though he had a girl body, he was still in the male mindset and he didn't want to excite himself. He pulled on the panties and struggled with the clasps on the bra but finally pulled it on right. He slipped on a V-neck sweater with ¾ length sleeves and the white Capri's and looked at himself in the mirror again. Still hot.

Harry walked out of the bathroom, carrying his old clothes and fidgeting with the hem of the shirt. Hermione handed him white sandals, beaming at him, and he pulled them on. He stood up and stumbled a bit. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to high heels.

'Oh, Harry, you look wonderful,' Hermione said, bouncing on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands. 'You really make a lovely girl,' she teased, giving Harry a sly look and winking at him. Harry rolled his eyes but smiled.

'Thanks, Hermione, for lending me all this stuff,' Harry said, holding onto the wall for support. 'I'm not sure I like the high heels, though. They're a bit hard to stand in. When will I have to meet the others again?' he asked nervously.

'I don't know. Lunch?' Hermione suggested, shrugging and sitting down on the bed, patting the place next to her. Harry sat down and looked at her expectantly.

'Okay, there are a few things about being a girl that you are going to need to know,' Hermione began, sounding a little uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before starting to talk again. 'You are going to bleed…in an odd place…once a month for as long as you are a girl.' she said quickly. Harry gave her a questioning look and she continued, though reluctantly.

'To be more specific, you are going to have to go through the menstruation cycle. I'll give you more details later. Or, I'll just give you a pamphlet I got when I was ten. You'll need to wear these pads to keep it from staining anything,' she said, sounding a bit pained and handing him a packet of pads and an 'About You' pamphlet. 'Put them in the bottom of your underwear.' Harry took the pads and nodded, a bit grossed out.

'So am I going to be in the boys dorm or this one or what?' Harry asked, standing up and looking around at the room. It was more or less the same as his old one with the addition of some more girly touches by the occupants.

'I don't think you'll be staying with the boys but I'm not sure if you're ready to stay with the girls,' Hermione deliberated, pulling him down the stairs and into the empty common room. 'I think we should ask McGonagall to give you your own room for now.' Harry nodded and slumped against the mantle piece, exhausted by the day's unusual events. Just then, Ron came loping down the stairs, stopping dead when he saw Harry.

He stood like that for a moment, just staring openmouthed at Harry.

'Wow, Harry, you…you're hot!' he said, sounding very tongue-tied indeed. 'I mean, I know that sounds weird and all but it's true.' Hermione put a hand on his arm and pulled him down to sit on the couch beside her.

'Don't make her any more uncomfortable than she already is, Ron,' she said reasonably.

'Her? She? Is this still Harry we're talking about?' Ron asked.

'Well, technically, Harry is a girl now and that means he is a 'she' so we might as well get used to calling _her_ as such,' Hermione said, placing the emphasis on 'her'. Harry plopped down one of the squashy armchairs by the fire and sighed.

'This is going to take a _lot_ of getting used to,' he moaned. 'So should we go down to lunch now and avoid the crowd or make a grand entrance in the middle?' he asked.

'Let's go now,' said Ron, standing up and rubbing his stomach, 'I'm starving anyways.' Hermione stood up and rolled her eyes, beginning to shove Ron toward the portrait hole.

'Oh, Ron, is your stomach all you ever think about?' Ron smiled his big, over-exaggerated, goofy smile and nodded, making both Hermione and Harry laugh. Well, not so much laugh as giggle.

'Coming, Harry? Or should I say Harriet?' Ron teased, smiling at him. Harry stuck his tongue out at Ron and stalked past him in mock outrage.

'Hermione, do you have a rubber band, or something?' Hermione nodded and handed it over. 'Thanks. My hair is getting in the way. I'm not used to have more than three inches at a time,' Harry giggled, trying to put his long hair into a ponytail.

'Here, let me do it,' Hermione sighed, taking the rubber band from him and putting his hair into a clean ponytail. 'There. Not a hair out of place.'

'Thanks, Hermione,' Harry said, smiling at her gratefully, relishing the feeling of weight swinging back and forth behind him. As the new trio came within sight of the Great Hall, Harry's nervousness increased tenfold if not more. His stomach felt fit to erupt from the butterflies. He pressed his ear to the doors and heard absolutely nothing inside, so he tentatively pushed it open a crack. There was no one in there.

Harry pushed the doors open and hurried to sit at his usual spot at the Gryffindor table, only stumbling once in the new high-heels. Hermione sat next to him and Ron sat across from him as Harry pulled a plate of eggs and toast toward him and began to eat. It was another ten minutes before anyone else came into the Hall. People slowly began to trickle in from their lessons and a stampede of people followed. Many people found excuses to double back along the Gryffindor table just to get a glance at the new Harry. Ginny, Fred, and George were soon barreling down on them, all goggling at Harry.

'Omigod, Harry, I can't believe it's true,' Ginny cried, bumping Ron out of the way and sitting down across from Harry. 'You actually turned yourself into a girl! How did that even happen? It didn't know that was possible.'

'I didn't either, Ginny,' Harry confessed. He noticed he gesticulated a lot more as a girl than he ever had as a guy. 'I think I added the wrong amount of powdered unicorn horn to my Health Potion,' he said, picking at his food again.

'Wow, Harry,' Fred said, still staring at him.

'Yeah, mate, you're bloody gorgeous!' George said, his voice sounding a bit choked. Harry blushed scarlet and bowed his head so the twins wouldn't see him smiling.

Harry took a look around the hall. He saw many heads turned his way and many necks craning to see but one face caught his eye; that of one Draco Malfoy. He was watching Harry with unwavering intensity and unmasked interest. It made Harry's heart flutter so he turned back to his food once more.

'Hermione, come with me to talk to McGonagall, kay?' Harry said, catching sight of McGonagall leaving the top table. Hermione nodded and led the way over.

'Hello, Professor,' Hermione said conversationally, falling into step with McGonagall.

'Hello, Granger. Er, Potter,' she said, looking at him oddly.

'Professor, we were wondering if we could go into Hogsmeade at some point to get Harry some clothes of his own. And we need a place for Harry to stay. He can't stay with the boys, obviously, but he's not ready to stay with the girls. A private dorm would be best, I believe,' Hermione said, very bravely in Harry's opinion.

'You may go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, seeing as it is Saturday, and, yes, Harry will have his…her…own dorm for the present time,' McGonagall agreed. Harry smiled.

McGonagall led Harry and Hermione to a portrait on the seventh floor, down the hall from the Gryffindor common room, and told Harry that the password was 'conform'. She, also, instructed Hermione to help him get settled and stocked and all that. Harry looked around his new dorm.

It had a sitting room, a small kitchen for snacks and such if he didn't want to go to the Great Hall, a bathroom with a Jacuzzi, and a master bedroom with a canopy bed. The walls and carpets were burgundy, and all the furniture and upholstery and accessories were gold. Their were hardwood accents on the walls and all the furniture without upholstery was a dark reddish wood. It was beautiful.

'Thanks again, Hermione, for helping me get used to this,' Harry said, sitting down on the bed. 'I'll see you tomorrow for that little shopping spree, kay?' Hermione nodded.

'I think there are some PJs in the drawer there,' she said, pointing to the bureau next to his bed. 'Good night, Harry.' With that she turned to leave.

Harry slipped into the PJs, loose flannel pants covered with stars and a short sleeved shirt with a moon wearing a nightcap on it. It was very comfortable. Harry slipped under the sheets and struggled to find a comfy position with his new body. _This is going to take some getting used to, _Harry thought as he at last drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Harry awoke the next morning to Hermione pulling back the curtains around his bed, letting the dazzling midmorning sun hit him full in the face. He moaned and rolled over. He felt odd and, when he opened his eyes, he saw that he didn't need his glasses. Since the light didn't go away, he sat up and stretched. He felt a heaviness on his chest and looked down to see considerably sized breasts. He sighed. It hadn't been a dream as he had hoped; Harry really was a girl.

'Come on, Harry,' Hermione urged, throwing some clothes in his arms and ushering Harry off to the bathroom. Harry changed, feeling awkward and clumsy in his newly proportioned woman's body. He emerged from the bathroom wearing a pink cap-sleeved shirt and tight, long, light-colored jeans. He pulled on the trainers and threw his hair into a loose bun, with Hermione's help.

'McGonagall said we can go to Hogsmeade for four hours but we can floo to another town if we can't find anything we need,' Hermione explained, leading Harry down the steps and out into the bright morning sunlight of the grounds. 'Do you want to stay in Hogsmeade or go to a muggle mall?' she asked, walking past the winged boars flanking the gates to the Hogwarts grounds.

'I never have been to a mall,' Harry confessed, looking around at the familiar and comforting town. Hermione stopped on a dime, spinning around and putting her hands on Harry's shoulders, looking him in the eye.

'Wait a moment. You've never been to a mall? How can you ever live in the muggle world and never go to a mall?!' Hermione said slowly, disbelievingly. Harry removed her hands from his shoulders and gave her a look.

'I lived with the Dursley's, remember?' he said, as though it was obvious. 'They never took me anywhere.' Hermione looked a little rebuffed and turned into the Three Broomsticks.

'Hello, Tom,' she said, directing the greeting to the bald, toothless, old bartender. 'Do you have any floopowder? We need to go to a muggle town.' Tom wheezed affirmation and handed her a small flowerpot filled to the brim with what looked like sparkling green sand.

'Harry…' Hermione began but Tom's rattling gasp cut her off.

'That's Harry?!' he said, sounding astounded. 'That's Harry Potter?!' Hermione nodded and Harry smiled sheepishly, waving at Tom. The bartender shuffled away, looking awed and muttering to himself.

'So, anyway,' Hermione said, eyeing Tom warily. She shook her head and turned back to Harry. 'I am going to take you to a mall near my home in London. This is about the time of spring break at my old school so we might even see some of my friends there,' she said excitedly, eager at the prospect of former friends, and taking a pinch of powder out of the flower pot.

Hermione stepped into the empty fireplace and said clearly, 'Pall Mall,' throwing the powder into the grate, and she was gone.

Harry stepped into the fireplace as well, trying to get balanced in his body. He wasn't too excited about having to floo when he could hardly stand up correctly. 'Pall Mall,' he said, also throwing the floopowder into the grate. He felt the emerald flames engulf him, feeling no pain, only a tickling warmth. He was spinning very fast, his elbows tucked in and his eyes squeezed shut. Then he was falling forward. He threw his hands out to stop himself from hitting the ground.

Hermione helped him to his feet and brushed the soot off his shoulders. Harry looked around and gasped. He was in a huge room, two stories at the edges but with a large hole in the floor of the top story making it one really tall room in the middle. Everything was either marble or metal and it all gleamed. More impressive was the crowd of people; it was enormous! There were hundreds of people ranging from toddlers to old geezers, from adolescent boys to teenage girls. There were stores and shops and restaurants lining the walls and people laden with bags and boxes were streaming around the mall in packs.

Harry was awed. Hermione was doubled up, laughing at the look on Harry's face. Hermione straightened up, still chuckling, and put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

'You can close your mouth now, Harry,' she giggled. Harry smiled at her. 'Oh, by the way, I can't very well go around calling you 'Harry' when you look like a girl so what do you want me to call you? The obvious choice would be Harriet but that isn't a very catchy name, is it?'

'No, it's not,' Harry agreed. He thought for a moment and snapped his fingers. 'I like the name Tia. I had a friend named Tia when I was little, until Dudley scared her off, but she was nice and I've always liked that name.' Hermione nodded and led him through the thick of the crowd of people.

'Okay, _Tia_, what do you want to buy first? You probably need to go to a lingerie store first to get underwear and bras and such,' Hermione said, leading him into Victoria's Secret, a store decorated mainly in pink with scantily clad manikins in the front window.

Hermione flitted around the store, pulling down underwear and bras and making suggestions and measurements. Harry had to try them all on and eventually had five bras and seven pairs of underwear that fit and were comfortable. Hermione had to pay for it all because Harry had no muggle money. He decided he would have to pay her back in wizard money, of which he had a considerable amount. They were just walking out of Victoria's Secret when they heard a shout behind them.

'Hermione?' a voice called from somewhere behind them. 'Omigod, Laura, it _is_ Hermione! But who's that other girl?' Harry heard them talking quietly, running to catch up with them. Hermione squealed and threw her arms around the girl who had spoken.

'Omigod, Katie?' she cried, staring at the girl. It was a pretty girl, good figure, with dark brown, sleek, curly hair that fell to mid-back. Katie nodded, smiling a smile that seemed to glow. The other girl, Laura, stepped up and hugged Hermione as well. This girl seemed to be the stereotypical teenager; the blonde, blue-eyed, Barbie® type.

'Oh, sorry, Laura. How are you both?' Hermione asked.

'Oh, we've been great, Hermione,' Laura answered. 'We both have really hot boyfriends, just FYI, and we both get good grades. I still play trumpet, if you were wondering, and Katie still sings…all the time,' she said grinning.

'Ooh, who are your boyfriends? Anyone I know?' Hermione asked eagerly.

'I don't know,' Katie said, looking thoughtful for a moment. 'Mine is named Drake and he says he knows you but I'm not so sure. Both our boyfriends go to a boarding school so we don't get to see them very often. Who's your friend?' she asked, waving the other subject off, replacing it with curiosity.

'Oh, this is…Tia. Tia Potter,' Hermione said, pushing Harry forward. Harry smiled and waved, trying to appear friendly and confident. He must have succeeded.

'Hi, Tia. I'm Katie Knowles,' Katie said, putting her hand out for Harry to shake. He did so and smiled warmly at her. 'Also known as Kit-Kat.'

'And I'm Laura Lebrowski,' Laura said, also shaking Harry's hand and receiving a smile. 'So, what are you guys doing here? I thought you were at that boarding school.'

'We're on spring break, too,' Hermione lied.

'You've been there for seven years and we've never seen you anywhere on any other spring breaks,' Katie pointed out, looking a bit confused.

'Well, all the other times I had to stay there to keep Tia company. She doesn't have a very good home life so she stays there and I don't like leaving her alone,' Hermione lied. It was only partially untruthful. Harry did have a bad home life that he didn't want to go back to and Hermione sometimes did stay over the holidays to keep him company, among other reasons.

'Oh,' Laura said, looking skeptical but letting the subject drop. 'So, what are you guys doing here?' she inquired, going back to her earlier question.

'I am just buying Tia some decent clothes. She's resorted to wearing mine. Her family is really…odd…and won't buy her any more clothes so I am taking that responsibility unto myself. I want her to be stylish,' Hermione said, grinning at her old friends. 'Would you girls like to help?' she asked, knowing the answer before it came. She may not have seen them in a while but some weaknesses never change.

The faces of the two girls lit up at the prospect of a shopping spree that someone else was paying for. They nodded vigorously and both took one of Tia's hands, pulling her from shop to shop, Hermione giggling behind them.

Katie and Laura took Harry, now Tia, around to many stores and, eventually, Tia was laden down with so many boxes and bags that he, now she, was having trouble standing. Hermione's money bag was significantly lighter when they were finished. Hermione, Katie and Laura made a tearful goodbye and Hermione pulled Harry back into the shop they had arrive in.

'They were nice,' Tia said, watching them walk away, chatting. 'You knew them from primary school?' Hermione nodded and handed her the floopowder.

'Time to go back to school, Harry. Oops, I mean Tia,' she said, stepping into the fireplace. 'The Three Broomsticks,' she said clearly and she was gone in a rush of emerald green flames. Tia followed her after convincing the shop tender to send their packages after them.

Tia fell out of the fireplace in the Three Broomsticks and Hermione helped her up again. After a moment or two, their packages came flooding out of fireplace as well.

'Let's shrink these to get them up to the castle,' Hermione said, waving her wand at the pile of bags, which shrank to the size of a shoe box. She put it in her cloak. 'Not nearly as heavy and bulky this way.' Tia nodded and the girls walked back up to the castle together.

Hermione and Tia reached the castle laughing and talking animatedly. Tia had to fight to ignore the stares and whispers following her through the Entrance Hall and down the hallways all the way to her private rooms but she managed. When they reached the portrait hole, Tia said 'conform' and the two girls entered her private quarters.

'We can put the shopping away now and then, since I don't much fancy going down and facing all those stares again, you can stay with me for dinner. I have my own kitchen,' Tia informed Hermione in a singsong voice, leading her into her bedroom. Hermione pulled the pile of packages out of her pocket and put them on the bed before unshrinking them.

'Okay, so the underwear and bras go in these drawers,' Hermione said, putting them in their place. 'And everything else goes either in these drawers or on hangers.' Tia began to hang up the shirts while Hermione folded the pants and placed them in the drawers of the bureau.

'So,' Tia said simply. 'Do you have any suspicions as to who your old friends might be dating?' she asked.

'Since when do you want to know?' Hermione asked, giggling a bit in confusion. Tia rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

'Hermione, I'm a girl now, remember?' she asked, as if the answer was evident. Hermione gave her a questioning look. 'All girls like gossip and I am no exception, no matter how new I am at being a girl.' It was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes. She did so, sighed, and turned back to putting away their new purchases.

'So?' Tia asked again, pressuring Hermione for an answer. 'Who do you think it is? That Katie's dating, I mean.'

'I don't know, Tia,' Hermione said, starting to get a little irritated. She sat on the bed and sighed, pursing her lips. 'Why on this Earth would I?'

'Well, Katie said her boyfriend said he knew you! He might go here,' Tia suggested, sitting beside her friend. Hermione gave her a skeptical look. 'Oh, come _on_, Hermione! It _is_ a possibility, isn't it? You don't know about the home lives of everyone at Hogwarts. Someone you know could very well be dating your old friend. Now, who are the possibilities?' Tia asked, scooting closer to Hermione and looking at her curiously.

'I told you, I don't know. Besides, I don't think there are any boys here named Drake,' Hermione said, standing up and making her way into the common room. 'Come on. Let's make some food. I'm starving,' she said, dragging Tia into the kitchen.

'Hey,' Tia said as inspiration struck her. 'Let's invite Ron over for dinner with us,' she said, running over to the portrait hall, dragging Hermione with her. Hermione pulled her arm away and put her hands on Tia's shoulders.

'No, let's not. You know how awkward and uncomfortable this all is for Ron. This would just make it more so,' Hermione said gently. Tia put on a pout face and sat back on the couch, folding her arms across her chest in annoyance.

'But I miss Ron,' she whined. 'He was my first and best friend ever. Well, he probably isn't my best friend anymore. You are now, but I still want to hang out with him and all.' Hermione sat and put her arm around Tia.

'Okay, fine,' she submitted. 'I'll get Ron to come over for dinner. But he's probably already eaten.'

'Oh, come on, Hermione. You now Ron's appetite. He eats like a pig! There is never a time when Ron is not hungry. Now, go!' Tia said, shoving Hermione out of the portrait hole without another word. Then, she set about making a wonderful dinner for the new Golden Trio.

Hermione strolled down to the Great Hall, worrying over all of Ron's many possible reactions to the invitation. She glanced around the Great Hall but she didn't need to look hard, Ron's bright mop was easy to spot. She hurried over and situated herself beside him.

'Hey, Ron, still hungry?' she asked casually even though he was shoveling food into his mouth like there was no tomorrow. He looked up, smiled, and nodded, unable to say anything due to the food occupying every available space in his mouth. 'Good. How about you come eat with me and Tia?'

Ron gave her a curious, confused look. Hermione remembered that he didn't know Harry's new name. 'Me and Harry,' Hermione explained. Ron nodded and then looked thoughtful for a moment, a little reluctant. 'Oh, come on, Ron! She really misses you. You were Harry's first friend when he came here and he will always want to be your friend, even if he is a girl. And don't use that excuse that you're awkward around girls. You're friends with me and I'm a girl, so come!' Ron sat undecided for a moment, then sighed, standing up.

'Well, come on then, Hermione,' he said, already halfway to the door. Hermione followed him, directing him to Tia's personal suite and explaining her new look and name. As soon as they opened the portrait hole, Tia squealed and ran to embrace Ron. He hugged her back rather stiffly.

'Hey, mate,' she said enthusiastically, leading him to sit on couch. 'How are you? How are the other boys? What's it like without me?'

'A little lonely,' Ron admitted. 'The dormitory seems a bit empty without you in it. The others just aren't best friend material, either. I've actually resorted to hanging around with Fred, George and Ginny. How lame is that?'

'Not lame,' Tia insisted. 'Fred and George are fairly interesting, and funny obviously, and Ginny's really nice, if you don't piss her off,' she giggled. Ron chuckled, too, though laboriously. His mouth was watering from the smells drifting out of the small kitchen.

'Food's ready!' Hermione called, rushing out with platters of steak, sausage, potatoes, biscuits and chicken, along with pumpkin juice, water and tea. She arranged them all on the table and sat down on the floor beside it. Tia and Ron seated themselves around the low table as well and Ron began eating without delay.

'How many stomachs do you have?' Hermione asked, half amazed, half disgusted, and half awed. Ron, without so much as looking up, held up three fingers. Hermione laughed and Tia nearly spit out a mouthful of pumpkin juice.

'So,' Ron said uncomfortably, once the dishes had been cleared away. 'What's it like? You know, being a girl?' Tia paused, considering her answer.

'Well, it's definitely different,' she said. 'You sort of carry yourself different. You even think different, more actually, and the emotions are in full stride. That's a bit annoying, really. And, it's a bit awkward for me because I'm still in the male mind-set and that doesn't really fit with a female body,' she explained, and Ron chuckled.

'I can imagine that would be a bit odd,' he confirmed. 'Are you adjusting well?' he asked, concerned for the mental health of his changing friend.

'Yeah, I guess so,' Tia said, looking thoughtful. 'Like I said, it's a bit awkward, obviously. I still look at girls a lot and they're going to think I'm a lesbian.' Ron looked suddenly uncomfortable.

'Are you?' he asked. Tia rolled her eyes.

'Well, I'm a guy trapped in a girl's body. How couldn't I be? But, since I'm getting all the female emotions and such, maybe that'll change, too, and I'll be a full girl soon. Cool,' she said, smiling inwardly. She didn't have to change as much as you would think. She may be different physically but she didn't have to change her sexual orientation. She still wanted Malfoy, and now she had the chance to get him without his being disgusted. Yea.

Ron stared at her. 'Cool?' he said in disbelief. '_Cool?!_ How can you say 'cool' to turning into a girl? You're okay with being Tia now? What are you going to tell your aunt and uncle and cousin? That they suddenly have a niece named Tia instead of a nephew named Harry? How will you tell the Wizarding world that their hero, the Boy-Who-Lived, is suddenly the Girl-Who-Lived? This is going to upset the entire Wizarding world and all you say is '_cool_'?' Ron yelled, gaping at Tia incredulously.

Tia stared back at him. He was blowing this way out of proportion. 'Calm down, Ron, we'll fix this,' she said reassuringly, putting her hand on his knee. 'I'm sure we'll find a way to reverse the transformation somehow but, until then, there's no point in freaking out over it,' she said reasonably. Ron looked somewhat mollified, or at least he relented his tirade.

'Ron, even if Harry does stay a girl, it won't be awkward for long,' Hermione said. 'You'll get used to it. I've already gotten used to it. The only thing you need to get is, possibly, a new best friend that's a guy. As you know, it's a bit difficult for teenage boys and girls to be best friends. Their interests are too different for constant conversation. Tia will probably be talking to me more than you now so you might want to find another guy friend,' Hermione advised.

Ron looked a bit upset by this news. As he had said earlier, none of the other boys in their year seemed to be best friend material and Fred, George and Ginny were all in a different year. There was no one left to be best friends with. Harry had been his first real friend, as well, and he had always expected Harry to be there for him. Now that _he _wasn't, he was a bit lost.

'I'm tired,' Ron said, and he looked it. The last two day's events had really taken their toll on him. He stood and left silently. Tia and Hermione stared despondently after him.

'Me, too,' Tia said with a sigh. 'You should go to bed. It's late,' she told Hermione, who nodded. 'G'night,' she said. Hermione nodded and returned to Gryffindor Tower. Tia went back to the bedroom and undressed. She flopped down on the bed and was asleep within minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Draco paced around his room, trying to banish the picture of the new and improved Harry from his mind.

_I can't be thinking about him…her…whatever! It just isn't right. He's always been off limits. But now, with him being a girl and all, at least no one would question us. And my parents might not even notice. But what about that muggle girl? What would I tell her? Oh, who cares about her! This is confusing!_

Draco collapsed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, images of Harry's new female form floating in his brain. He knew from snatches of conversation he had heard that Harry's mind was still male even though his body wasn't. So he was still Harry on the inside and Tia on the outside. Weird.

Draco stood up and threw his cloak around his shoulders. He climbed silently down the stairs and out into the corridor, ignoring his friends' questions as he went. It was early November, not snowing yet but cold enough to take his mind off of things, and he headed onto the grounds, making quite sure that no one was following him: he would never make it through the year if someone found out about his secret place.

Draco carefully peeled back a thick clump of bushes at the forest's edge a good way along, almost out of sight of the castle. He stepped through and tossed his cloak on a stump to his right, where he always did: there was no need for it in here. He wasn't sure how or why but the weather in this clearing was always perfect.

He flopped down on his back, his hands behind his head, and looked up at the crown of leaves. This clearing was all his, perfect in every way. The trees were tall and close together, their branches weaving to make an almost soundproof enclosure, letting sound in but not out. Their was one tree in the middle of the clearing, a huge old oak, gnarled and majestic with an air of great age and wisdom. He would often climb up into it's branches and relax, many of the branches being thicker around than Draco himself.

Sunlight filtered in through the canopy in shafts that glittered and left dappled shadows on the lush grass. All around Draco were the sounds of the forest: Birds singing, leaves rustling, crickets chirping, the breeze blowing gently through the trees. This was where Draco came when he needed to unwind, relax and think things over. He definitely needed to figure something out now: his little problem of Harry. Or Tia. Whatever.

_I'm going to start simple. I am gay, that much I know. I like Harry, a lot. Harry is now a girl. Problem solved, right? Wrong. Harry is still a boy on the inside so, unless he's gay, too, there's no way he'd ever go out with me. It'd just be weird, right? Right. Well, maybe he is…No! He's not, definitely not Harry. But, maybe if I asked him if he's turned into a full girl…it might work!_

Draco sat up, charged with the thrill of an idea, no matter how imprudent a plan it was. He walked leisurely back up to the castle, smiling and thinking over his plans. By the time he got back to his dormitory, he knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he was sure it would work.

Tia walked slowly down the corridor on her way to the library, still adjusting to the high heels. As she walked past an alcove, she felt a wrist grab hers and she was spun around and pulled into the niche, her short skirt whirling around her legs. She placed her hands on the chest of the person in front of her in an attempt to push them away but the person held fast to her wrists. She could tell that it was a boy, his hands were rough and strong.

Tia looked up into the finely chiseled face of Draco Malfoy. His eyes bored into hers, freezing her in place, holding her still with the intensity of his gaze. They were gray-blue but they didn't seem as cold as usual, as distant, but warmer, somehow closer. Tia stared into them, captivated.

Tia broke the connection, blushing and pulling back. 'What do you want, Malfoy?' she asked, trying to sound like she usually did when addressing an enemy but failing miserably. She sounded as unnerved as she was; she wasn't used to that kind of contact with boys, especially ones she liked, seeing as she had only been a girl for about a week or two.

'I wanted to ask you a personal question. Why else would I pull you into an alcove where no one could overhear?' Malfoy asked, taking a small step back, a bit uncomfortable himself. 'Uh, are you a girl on the inside, too, or just on the outside?' Malfoy inquired awkwardly, attempting to appear offhand but sounding as embarrassed as he felt.

Tia felt the color rise in her cheeks. 'Who wants to know?' she asked, fidgeting a bit with the hem of her purple tank top. Malfoy flushed a bit at this.

'Some of the guys wanted to know for, uh, reasons of their own,' he lied, thinking to himself that his plan wasn't going nearly as smoothly as anticipated. He just couldn't get up to nerve to tell her. Tia's face fell a little, almost imperceptibly, but he caught it just the same and his heart leapt. 'And I was a bit curious.'

'Well, I have the female emotions and everything but I still think like, and have the memories of, Harry. I guess you could say I'm a little of both. Why?' she asked, both anticipating and fearing the answer. Malfoy fidgeted a bit before answering.

'Well, _someone _was considering asking you out but wasn't sure if you were still a guy on the inside and didn't want you to think he was gay if he asked you out,' he said, thinking quickly. Tia seemed to accept this.

'It really would depend on the person,' Tia said, hoping that he would tell her who had been asking about her orientation. 'Some people I might just tell them I'm still Harry inside just to get them off my back but some I might say otherwise. Who wanted to know?' she asked, inconspicuously turning on all the charisma and charm she had.

Malfoy was genuinely uneasy now, shifting his way and avoiding Tia's piercing green eyes. 'Well, uh…' _I just have to say it. Just say it!_ '…Me,' he said quietly. Tia didn't respond. He lifted his gaze from the floor to her lovely face. She looked stunned, to say the least.

'Um, well…sure,' she said simply. Malfoy looked at her questioningly. 'Aren't you asking me out? You said some guys were thinking about asking me out and I asked who and you said you. I say yes,' she elaborated. Malfoy's face brightened.

'Really?' he asked incredulously. Tia nodded, giggling a bit at the look on his face. 'Okay, uh, well…Would you accompany me to Hogsmeade next Saturday, Tia?' he asked clumsily. Despite his reputation, Draco had never actually asked anyone out, Pansy had always just elected to come wherever he happened to be going without having to be asked, whether he wanted her to come or not.

'Sure. What will we be doing there?' she asked, smiling at him, her heart secretly singing with elation.

'We could get a drink and some dinner in The Dragonhead Pub?' he opted, remembering a superb little restaurant on the periphery of Hogsmeade.

'I'd be glad to,' Tia agreed, her smiling widening. He nodded at her, smiling back, and she squeezed out of the alcove and headed off to the library, over a half hour later than she wanted to get there.

When she arrived at the library door, she leaned against the wall, sighing in bliss. She had finally gotten a date with the one boy she had always liked. The Harry inside of Tia was jumping for joy.

Malfoy rested against the wall in the alcove, over the moon. It had taken all his courage, but he had finally gotten a date with the one boy he had always liked, even if he was trapped in a girl's body. He was still Harry on the inside, he could see it in her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

'I have a date,' Tia exclaimed, twirling Hermione around to face her, excitement showing in her face. Hermione stared at her.

'Really? Is it Tia's date or Harry's?' she asked, knowingly.

'Well, it's sort of both, I guess,' Tia said quietly, her excitement ebbing slightly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

'Well? Who is it?' she asked, leading Tia over to sit on the couch in the Gryffindor common room. They still came here to hang out sometimes, instead of the isolation of Tia's private dorm. 'Spill everything.'

'Uh, well, you're not going to believe who asked me out, really,' she started, a bit reluctant to let the name slip in the middle of a bunch of Gryffindors. They had been, after all, sworn enemies before he had become Tia.

'Oh, you know you can tell me anything! I'll be thrilled for you no matter who you like,' Hermione pressured, giving her a puppy dog pout that she knew Harry had never been able to resist, guessing that Tia couldn't either.

'Okay, fine! Malfoy,' she mumbled, almost inaudibly. Hermione squealed. A few people turned to stare at her before shuffling away. Hermione lowered her voice and leaned in closer to Tia.

'Really?' she asked incredulously, gaping at the prospect. 'I would have never guessed that someone like Malfoy…wait. You said it was Tia _and_ Harry's date,' she pointed out, slowly. 'But that would mean…Harry! You were gay and never told me?!' she hissed, outraged that she hadn't caught the signs. Looking back now, it seemed so obvious. The sidelong glances, the lack of insults, all of it! She couldn't believe how unobservant she had been.

Tia blushed and shushed Hermione, looking around frantically to make sure that no one heard. 'Hermione! Keep it quiet, will you? Yes, I was, and I apologize for keeping you out of the loop. No one knew, not even Ron. It would completely ruin my reputation. Especially if someone found out I liked Malfoy, of all people,' she whispered. 'I'll fill you in in my room.'

Ten minutes later, the girls were settled in Tia's common room, Tia readying herself to spill her innermost secrets at last.

'Okay. I realized I was gay in the middle of last year,' she confessed. 'I noticed that I liked Malfoy about a month after that but tried as hard as I could not to show it. I didn't tell anyone I was gay because I heard Ron say something along the lines of: 'Hey, I think that guy's gay. Isn't that weird, kind of creepy?' I decided that I wouldn't tell him because, one, he thought it was creepy and, two, it would weird our friendship.

'Then I got turned into Tia. Now, I guess I would be considered straight. I think. Cause I'm still Harry on the inside, a gay guy that likes other guys, and Tia on the outside, a girl who's supposed to like guys! Perfect, right? But then, since Malfoy was in the room when my potion exploded, I thought he would be really creeped out by all this and that I would have absolutely no chance at all with him. Makes sense, right?

'But today on the way to the library, he pulled me into an alcove and asked if I was a girl on the inside or just the outside. I asked why and he said that some of the other guys were wondering and that he was a bit curious. So I said I was a bit of both and asked why they wanted to know. Then he said that _some of the guys_ were thinking of asking me out but were afraid of being thought of as gay. So I said it depended on the person asking and asked who it was and he said him.

'So he finally asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him next Saturday and I said yes so we're going to the Dragonhead Pub to have dinner!' Tia said quickly. Hermione stared at her for a moment. She had remained impassively silent throughout the entire one-sided conversation.

'Wow…that was quite a speech,' Hermione said simply. Then she pulled Tia into a tight hug. 'Oh, I'm so happy for you! I don't care if you're gay or not! But now that I know that the Harry inside of you is gay, I can talk to you about guys without thinking I was freaking you out,' she said happily, pulling away. 'And you don't have to tell anyone else that you were gay. We can just tell them that your femininity has taken over and that you're a full girl,' she suggested.

'That's perfect. Thanks for accepting me, Hermione,' she said sincerely. 'Will you help me get ready for my date?' she said jokingly.

Tia pulled the top over her head and stepped into her shoes, wobbling a bit before gaining her balance. It was Saturday morning, the day of both the Hogsmeade visit and Tia's date with Malfoy. Draco.

Tia looked in the mirror. She had to admit, she looked amazing. She was wearing tight black slacks under a striped emerald and black top, long enough to stretch to her mid-thigh comfortably, with a chunky black belt at her waist, cinching the shirt and accentuating her curves. She wore black platform sandals, strappy on top and about three inches tall.

Tia's makeup consisted of dark green and grey shadow spread over her eyelids and dramatic use of blush and lipstick. It had a stunning effect, making her eyes seem more piercing than usual, deep and profound.

'You look absolutely wonderful!' Hermione exclaimed, looking at Tia from every angle. 'That is the most flattering outfit I could find, not that you need to be flattered. You look wonderful in anything you wear. Malfoy will be begging at your feet by the end of the day!' she predicted.

'I wouldn't say 'begging',' Tia said playfully. 'Just drooling and gibbering. Besides, begging wouldn't have much effect. I'm not one to give it all upfront. I like to make them work for it,' she said, being entirely sincere. 'It was the same way for Harry, with girls, of course. You remember how long I pretended I didn't know that Ginny liked me? We got together, didn't we? Yeah, I was doing that for about a month. It works really well.'

'That is devious and manipulative!' Hermione cry. 'And pure genius! I've got to try that,' she said, beginning to think over a list of boys that she should try it out on.

'What are you talking about, Hermione?' Tia asked, surprised that she didn't know. 'You've been doing it subconsciously for years! You're so focused on your studies that no guys think they can reach you. You have that forbidden fruit appeal, you know? Guys love what they can't, or think they can't, have,' Tia informed her. Hermione looked very surprised at this.

'So guys like me?' she asked. 'A lot? Really?' Tia nodded. 'Wow. How come I never noticed that?'

'Like I said, you've been so focused on your homework that you never noticed how the guys look at you. You have a figure, you know, so why don't you show it off once and awhile? I could get you together a tactfully sexy outfit for the this afternoon that will have plenty of guys drooling at your feet,' Tia offered, her eyes lighting up.

Hermione fiddled hesitantly with the hem of her robes. She had never been comfortable showing much skin. She didn't even like swimming at public pools, much less purposely inviting guys with revealing outfits.

'I don't know, Tia, I'm not sure I would be comfor-' she began, but Tia cut her off.

'Oh, come on, you'll be fine! But you need to learn to loosen up. You won't be innocent forever. Come out of your shell! You need a boyfriend,' she said determinedly. 'And I'm going to help you get one. I was a guy once, I know how their minds work,' she added, grinning impishly.

'Well…alright, let's do it,' Hermione agreed. Tia squealed and pulled Hermione over to the closet excitedly.

'Okay, we need something to let everyone know that you have a figure. You've been hiding it under those bulky robes for so long, people are sure to have forgotten that you even have a waist,' she said, pulling things out and flinging them on the bed. 'Something with a tiny bit of cleavage but not enough to look smutty. And a skirt, a short skirt but not really, really short. Enough to show a little thigh to keep the boys wanting but not enough so that you'll accidentally flash them; I don't think they want that much,' she said, leading Hermione over to the bed piled high with options.

'I think you're an autumn,' Tia said, absently walking around and examining Hermione. 'You need brighter, earthy colors. Brown, red, orange, that sort of thing. Try this,' she said, pulling out a few items and thrusting them into Hermione's hands. Then she gave her a push toward the bathroom to change.

Hermione returned wearing a mid-thigh length brown skirt, corduroy with a built-in tan belt, a snug red tube-top, and brown two-inch wedges slip-ons made to look like penny loafers on top. Hermione looked wonderful in it, but she appeared very uncomfortable in such a showy outfit. She was fidgeting and constantly pulling up the tube-top. Tia smacked her hands away.

'Don't fidget. It'll detract from the confident image we're going for,' she said. She straightened the top and went to choose accessories and makeup. 'Your hair should be down, maybe with the front inch or so pulled back to look like a headband, that's always cute. Brown makeup, really simple, with pale pink lips and blush. Really accentuate your eyes, guys love a girl's eyes. You have pretty brown eyes, that's a plus. Maybe a simple gold chain for a necklace, long earrings, and a few gold bangles.'

Hermione just stood there awkwardly, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She had never been out of the house this exposed before. Tia seemed so sure and confident, but Hermione had never had the confidence in her looks that Harry seemed to automatically possess. She had always been the modest, conservative girl in the corner with her nose in a book. She had never even considered being as brash and bold as this outfit made her appear.

Tia brought over a delicate gold chain and draped it around her neck twice so that it reached to just above the edge of the tube top, handed her thin gold, chain earrings for her to put in, about an inch long, and a bag full of makeup.

'Come on, we need to hurry if I'm going to help you before I have to meet up with Draco,' Tia said, sitting Hermione down on a stool in front of the mirror.

She took the first inch of hair on the sides of her face and pulled them loosely back and secured them, giving it the appearance of a headband made of hair. Then she applied dark brown and tan eye shadow, thick brown eyeliner, and dark mascara. Blush and lip gloss of the same shade finished off the look.

The look fitted Hermione very well. It looked earthy and innocent, but with a godly appeal to it. She looked strong and confident, but naïve and pure. It was exquisite. 'Thanks, Tia, you're a miracle worker,' Hermione breathed, hugging her tightly. 'I never would have been able to do this without your help.'

'No problem,' Tia said, hugging her back. 'Now, we have to get to Hogsmeade if I'm going to get to my date on time and you're going to have enough time to snag yourself a man before we have to be back,' she said, glancing at the clock and smiling teasingly.

'Right,' Hermione said, following her out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Draco waited anxiously by the winged boars that flanked the gates. What if Tia forgot? Or stood him up? He didn't think he could stand the humiliation. Every second closer to the predetermined meeting time that ticked by made him even more nervous.

Finally he stopped her on the horizon, or he thought he did. He wasn't used to seeing 'Tia' yet, but he thought that was Granger she was with. But it sure didn't look like Granger. Instead of robes and heavy books, she was wearing a skirt and a tube top! That was definitely unlike her.

It was Tia, looking marvelous in her waist-accentuating outfit, her hair cascading marvelously in dark waves almost to her waist. She smiled and waved when she spotted him, pulling Hermione over with her.

'Hello, Draco,' she said happily. 'I'm pretty sure you know Hermione, obviously, but I thought I might as well introduce you to the _new and improved _Hermione. I gave her a full makeover,' she added, gesturing to Hermione, who smiled uncomfortably at him.

'I thought you looked different,' he said, restraining from saying anything nasty. 'You clean up good,' he added, surprising everyone, including himself. But it was true.

'Thanks, Malfoy,' Hermione said, flashing him a smile. 'Well, I'm off. I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone,' she added jokingly. Then she ran off, leaving them both blushing awkwardly.

'So, uh, where is this Dragonhead Pub we're going to?' Tia asked, breaking the silence.

'Oh, uh, yeah. It's out on the edge of Hogsmeade. It's really nice, I think you'll like it,' he said, grabbing her hand and leading her down a side road. Tia blushed as he took her hand but tried to hide it, unaware that he was blushing as well.

They walked in comfortable silence for awhile, hand in hand, until they reached a small relaxed restaurant, mostly made of dark wood. They were ushered inside and seated in a booth of red leather. It was warm inside, not too crowded, with pleasant music in the background.

'You were right, I do like it,' Tia said approvingly. Draco smiled at her. 'So, what do they have to eat here?' she asked, looking at a menu.

Draco repeated word for word what the menu said: Anything You Want. 'Great, isn't it? You can order anything and they'll give it to you. That's what I love most about this place.'

They ordered their food and just talked. First awkwardly, mostly about school and homework and such. That soon got boring so they moved on to activities such as reading, Quidditch, other sports, Quidditch, their friends, Quidditch, and many other things, though they often returned to Quidditch. It was their common ground.

'Are you still going to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team?' Draco asked, wondering aloud. 'Will Tia be as good a Seeker as Harry was? If not, I need to find a new Quidditch rival,' he added with a laugh. Tia laughed, too.

'I really don't know,' she said uncertainly. 'I haven't flown since my potion went wrong. You mind coming with me later so I can re-learn to fly as a girl?' He nodded his acquiescence. 'Great. If I'm still as good, with a little practice, I should be able to keep my position,' she said anxiously.

What if she wasn't the same? What if she got kicked off the team? Quidditch was the one thing that had kept her, or him, sane through all seven years! He would die without it! Draco, sensing her disquiet, placed a hand soothingly on hers.

'I'm sure you'll be just as good a Seeker as Harry was. I can feel it. You were the only person who could ever beat me! I would never survive without someone to strive to beat. My Quidditch career would be over,' he chuckled. Tia smiled at him.

'Thanks, Draco,' she said. 'I guess I just overreacted a bit. I'm sure I can be just as good, if not better, than I used to be. After all, I was a small guy, lighter and speedier which is how Seekers are supposed to be, so girls are typically smaller and lighter. Maybe I'll be even better,' she said hopefully.

'There's the right attitude,' he added reassuringly. They spent the rest of the day in pleasant conversation, eventually heading over to the Three Broomsticks. There they met up with Hermione and Ron, who had an interesting surprise for them.

'Hey, guys! What have you been up to?' Tia called, rushing to hug Hermione. She seemed much more comfortable in her new outfit than she had when they got there.

'Well, you know how you said I needed to find myself a man?' Hermione asked.

'Yeah,' Tia said excitedly.

'Well, I bagged me one!' Hermione squealed. Tia looked at her, waiting expectantly. Hermione decided to let her hang for a few minutes. Finally Tia moaned impatiently. Without a word, Hermione leaned over, threw her arms around Ron's necked, and kissed him. Tia gaped at her.

'Finally!' she yelled, jumping up and down in delight. 'Finally you two came to your senses! It took you long enough. I can't believe you two waited for six and a half years to notice the signs. You two are so oblivious when it comes to each other. Oh, I'm so happy for the both of you!' Tia said, throwing herself into a big group hug.

'Uh, Tia?' Ron choked out, tugging at her arm around his neck. 'I can't breathe!' Tia let go quickly, blushing a bit.

'Sorry,' she whispered apologetically. Ron rolled his eyes and rubbed his neck. Draco, meanwhile just stood to the side, watching the whole thing with mild interest. _She's right. Took them long enough._

Tia turned back to him, beaming with the news of his friends' getting together, took his hand, and pulled him to another table. 'To let them have their privacy,' she giggled, answering his questioning look.

'So…what do you want to do now?' Draco asked awkwardly. He had never been on a date before. They had done the eating part, what was left to do?

'I dunno,' Tia replied in a bimbo-ish way, just looking at him. _He is so cute. I'm glad he thinks I'm full girl. Now I can date him acceptably and not be ostracized by society._ She giggled at her own exaggerations.

'What's so funny?' Draco asked, chuckling too. _Her laugh is so cute and contagious._ 'What are you laughing at? Is there something in my teeth?' Tia laughed all the more at this, watching Draco pick at his teeth, rooting around for something that wasn't there.

'No, your smile is as perfect and pearly white as usual,' she said sweetly. He flashed her a toothy smile in response, best to show off his "perfect and pearly white" smile. More laughter ensued. 'Oh, Draco Malfoy, you crack me up!'

'Glad to be of service,' he said with an air of sarcastic gallantry. 'I always have had a flair for humor, but I could never really pursue it. My father simply would allow his only heir to go into such a "lowly" and "commonplace" profession as comedy,' he scoffed, adding air quotes where appropriate.

Tia nodded her head sympathetically.

'I know what you mean. As you know, my aunt and uncle and cousin are muggles, really, really, typically muggle. Scared to death of magic! Well, they actually hid my true identity, my destiny, my entire life, from me until Hagrid came to get me on my eleventh birthday.

'They were, to use a quote, trying to "stamp out that nonsense." I wanted to be a great wizard as soon as I was told they existed, but they refused to help pay for anything, support me or even acknowledge the existence of such a world for a while. It was all very oppressive,' Tia said, sounding dejected.

'Yeah, I can imagine that,' Draco said. Tia looked up at him and, to his surprise, her stunningly deep, emerald eyes were suddenly swimming with tears.

'No, no, you can't,' she implored. 'You have no idea what it was like for me. I lived the first ten years of my life in a cupboard! I was bossed around, yelled at, starved, beaten on occasion, neglected, lied to, every form of mistreatment you could list! I was told that my parents died in a car crash! That my scar was just a regular scar! I was punished for my occasional outbursts of magic, even though I had no control over them, nor did I even know what it was. Until I came to Hogwarts my life was horrible!' Tia said softly, tears now running freely down her face.

Draco's heart broke at the sight of 'The Boy Who Lived' so forlorn and broken. The ideal Gryffindor was sitting before him, crying pitifully over the life she had led.

He had had no idea that Hogwarts and magic meant that much to him, not many people did. Most people had been led to believe that Harry's life had always been perfect, deluded into blindness of his treatment. Draco was sad to count himself among them.

Draco reached out and pulled Tia to him, holding her as she cried silently. She clutched at his shirt, wet from her tears, an inexplicable feeling telling her that she could trust this one person to comfort her. Soon she hiccupped herself into silence and pulled back, wiping her streaming eyes on a napkin, sheepishly.

'I'm sorry I lost control like that, Draco,' said shakily. 'I'm still not used to these acute female hormones.' Tia gave a small chuckle. 'Let's go back to the castle, I'm tired,' she suggested, pulling Draco to his feet.

'Okay,' he said obediently, putting his arm around her waist. She returned the favor in kind and rested her head on his shoulder. It was very comfortable.

They were some of the first ones back so the castle was nearly empty. They wandered around the grounds for a while. While they walked in a comfortable silence, Draco made a tough decision, one he never thought he would make. Taking her hand again, he began to lead her toward the forest, away from the castle.

'Uh, Draco? Where are you taking me?' Tia asked apprehensively. 'I have experience with the kind of creatures in the forest and they are not pleasant, I can tell you that! There are centaurs, and acromantulas, and-' she began worriedly, but Draco cut her off.

'I know where I'm going,' he reassured her. 'It's a place I found in my very first year, a place that's utterly perfect in every way. I've never told anyone about it, though, so keep quiet about it.' Tia nodded, trotting alongside him.

Once they were almost out of sight of the reassuring presence of Hogwarts castle, Draco stopped. A large clump of bushes was before them, thicker than the ones around them. He dug his hands into them, and pushed them aside. He stepped through and held the branches apart for Tia to follow him. Upon entering, she stopped, awestruck.

The clearing was beautiful, clement, cheery, indeed perfect in every way. The were soaring and thin, their branches weaving together until they were nearly soundproof. But they could still hear all the pleasant noises of the surrounding woods. The huge tree in the center was magnificent and stately, commanding a sort of respective reverence at how it had managed to survive all these years.

'It's…wow…It's perfect!' Tia stuttered, staring up at the oak. Draco put his arm around her waist, grinning in amusement at her reaction.

'Yeah, it is,' he said quietly. 'I'd have never made it through all these years here if I hadn't had this place to come and relax.'

'Why's it been so difficult for you?' Tia asked curiously. Draco hesitated before answering.

'I'll tell you in the tree. It's really comfortable to sit in,' he said, leading to sit up in the higher branches. It was indeed very relaxing to lounge on the well worn dips and grooves, made them much more at ease.

'Okay,' Draco began nervously. He wondered how much to tell her. He had never told anyone what she was asking, had always deflected such questions with sharp comments and insults, but she couldn't do that to Tia, not after she had been so honest about her childhood.

'Well, the reason my years here have been so difficult is…well, you know that my father is on the Board of Directors? He has Snape give him reports on my behavior! I'm being watched 24/7! This is the only place I can come to have some relief, to be myself.' He thought that would cover it. He was wrong, Tia asked again.

'Why is he having you watched?' she pressed, her concern, and her apprehension showing in her eyes. Was he dangerous? Or just suffering from overprotective parents?

Draco sighed heavily. _It's now or never, I suppose._

'Okay. My father…he is a Death Eater. He expects me to follow in his footsteps. All these years of insults and jibes, all of that was just to get my father to, well, love me. He never really paid any attention to me as a child and I didn't really understand the Death Eaters. All I knew was that my father was very important. I looked up to him, idolized him, wanted to be just like him.

'I nearly got my wish. I acted just like him, parroted his ways and beliefs. All of this at least earned my father's approval. It did not, however, earn his love as I had hoped it would. It got him to pay attention to me, but only to try and train me up to be a good and proper Death Eater. Only then did I realize exactly what the Death Eaters were,' he said. He was surprised at how much bitterness he found in his voice.

'No matter how much I tried to act like my father, I just wasn't like him. I may be his double in appearances but we are far from similar in viewpoint. My father, all for muggle domination and pureblood rule, is right up there with the Dark Lord, but I would much rather we just stop fighting, live together in peace.

'I've seen many a muggle tortured. I've seen many a pureblood Death Eater tortured. Their screams sound the same, their blood is the same color, what's the difference? Why are we so superior if we are so alike at the same time?

'The only reason I'm watched so often is that my father has never heard my view of things. Considering how far I've gone to try and make him like me, I never was able to pluck up the courage to tell him that I didn't agree. He would probably turn me over to the Dark Lord as a blood traitor,' he added darkly, his scowl so menacing that Tia had the urge to back away from him.

'That must have been horrible,' she whispered, patting his knee in an empathetic sort of way. He smiled sadly at her touch.

'Thanks for listening. In all honesty, you're the only person I've ever told any of this to,' he admitted. 'Most people would either think I was lying or run off and tell Snape. But, somehow, I know I can trust you.' He blushed deeply at these words, dropping eye contact.

'You're cute when you blush, you know that?' Tia giggled quietly. He blushed even more, making her laugh out loud. 'You're doing that on purpose!' she accused.

'No, I'm not! You're calling me cute, I can't help it! I've never been called cute before!' he laughed.

'Really?' Tia asked in disbelief. 'Well, to make up for all of those cute-less years: Cute, cute, cute, cute, cute!' Tia yelled, pinching his cheeks and laughing. Draco batted her off, practically doubled up for laughing.

'Quit it before I fall out of the tree!' he warned. She stopped but continued to hover over him, beaming down at him.

'I got you to laugh,' she taunted in a singsong voice. 'I've never seen you really laugh before, you know that? Only snigger viciously or smirk at things.'

'I don't really laugh often. I can't usually find anything really funny to laugh about.'

'Well, I bet I can change that,' Tia said with a mischievous grin. Suddenly, she ran her hands over his stomach, tickling him unmercifully. He began to laugh involuntarily, his eyes streaming. Not many people knew it, it always seemed so out of character, but Draco Malfoy was in fact very, very ticklish.

**A/N I know this chapter is a little fluffy near the end but it gets better in the next one. I promise. **


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

'Stop! Tia, stop!' Draco managed to choke out, trying to shield his stomach from her probing fingers. 'Stop it, I'm ticklish! You're going to knock me out of the tree if you don't stop!'

Tia stopped immediately, though she continued to snigger at him. He sat up and tried to scowl at her but failed miserably, his smile shining through somehow.

'You can laugh all you want when it's happening to me,' he said, his eyes glinting. 'But how about you?' he asked, lunging at her. Now that he was in control, it was indeed very funny to see his girlfriend writhing and laughing uncontrollably.

'Why you little-'

'Ah, ah, ah! No swearing in my special meadow,' Draco taunted. He finally relented, allowing Tia to catch her breath. 'You know what? You look so cute when you laugh like that,' he added without thinking. Then, realizing what he had said, he back off and blushed, avoiding her eyes.

Tia was a little stunned, though the Harry inside her was jumping for joy, and just stared for a moment. 'Well, you know what? You're not too bad yourself,' she retorted, grinning and blushing as well. Draco's blush deepened and she giggled.

'Come on,' she said, jumping down out of the tree. Draco followed her out of the clearing, hand in hand, and all the way back through the castle to stop at a blank stretch of wall and a tapestry of Uric the Oddball teaching trolls to do ballet.

'What are we doing at the Room of Hidden Things?' he asked confusedly. Tia chuckled quietly.

'Oh, it's not the Room of Hidden Things, Draco, it's the Room of Requirement,' she said, pacing up and down the corridor. 'You used it last year and all that, but I used it in fifth year to hide the DA from Umbridge, you saw us there.'

Draco searched his memory and saw that it had, indeed, been this corridor that he had discovered the secret headquarters of Dumbledore's Army. 'Oh yeah! I can't believe I never made the connection. So, what else does this place do?'

'Anything you want it to,' Tia said, happily pulling open the door that had just appeared. 'Except make food. Food's one of the five exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, you know. Bloody annoying, that is, but I always think of a passageway down to the kitchens so we can get our own food if we want it.'

Draco walked in, expected to see the winding, towering piles of refuse and hidden objects of hundreds of Hogwarts students long past. But they weren't there. Instead, there was a large fireplace, a fluffy couch, a throw rug, and a coffee table. And in the corner there was a small door with a bell beside it that supposedly lead to the kitchens. It had a warm and homey feel to it.

'Wow! This is so cool,' he breathed, plopping down on the couch. 'How does this room work?'

'No one seems to know,' Tia said casually, cuddling up to him and laying her head on his chest, his arm around her shoulders. It was very comfortable. After a few minutes, Draco decided to throw caution to the wind and ask the question that had been bothering his all night.

'Tia?'

'Hm?'

'I was just wondering…are you really a full girl? Or are you still Harry on the inside?'

Tia faltered. She knew that telling the truth would out her secret, tarnish her reputation, and probably push Draco away. But he had been so honest to her that it hurt to even think of not returning the favor.

'In all honesty…,' Tia began, drawing away and sitting demurely with her hands in her lap, refusing to look Draco in the eye. 'Okay, no. I'm not a full girl. I'm still Harry on the inside.'

Draco looked confused, though she thought she could see a tiny glimmer of hope in his eyes. She dismissed it as a trick of the light and lowered her eyes again.

'But, why did you agree to go out with me, then?' he asked, trying to catch her eye, but she kept her gaze firmly on her shaking hands. She didn't answer. There was a tense silence. She knew she wouldn't have to say it, she could practically hear the cogs working in his head. He gasped.

'Were…were you gay, Harry?' he asked quietly. Tia gave a tiny sob, unable to keep herself under control any longer. Hearing Draco call her Harry, a thing he had never done when she really _was _Harry, sent her over the edge.

'Harry! It's nothing to cry about! Do you know the only reason I managed to ask you out? The only thing that made me want to?' She shook her head. 'The fact that you very well _could _still be Harry on the inside.'

Tia, sure she had misunderstood his words, looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time. She was shocked to see sincerity, hope, and something she couldn't quite identify. 'W-what?'

'I only asked you ought in the hopes that, at least on the inside, you were still Harry,' he repeated. 'Yeah. I'm gay, too. Well, sort of. At least, I thought I was till I met you. But since you used to be a guy, and I liked you even though, I'm not sure what that makes me,' he added in a puzzled sort of way.

Tia managed to give a weak chuckle. 'Yeah, me, too. I liked you even when I was a guy. The whole reason I became a girl was because I wasn't exactly able to focus during Potions,' she said embarrassedly.

'Really?' Draco asked hopefully. She nodded. 'Wow. Well, this is a perfect situation then! Apparently we still like each other, and you're still a guy on the inside, even if you look like a girl! That way we can be together without controversy,' he said, taking her hands.

'Sounds great,' Tia sighed. 'But…would you still have me if I turned back into a boy?'

'Why do you ask?

'Well, I don't know what exactly went wrong with my potion so I don't know if the effects are permanent or if there's an antidote or anything like that. And, believe me, I'd be so much more comfortable back in my own body,' Tia admitted.

'Well, yeah, I would,' Draco said, giving her hands a little squeeze. 'Now that I have you, I wouldn't dream of letting you go.' Tia smiled and leaned in unconsciously. Draco, taking it as a signal, swooped down and planted a kiss on her lips.

Tia felt lightheaded with the intensity of the kiss, despite its gentle and innocent nature. It was the feeling behind the kiss that was so powerful, the love and the sincerity, the longing and the passion. It was the perfect kiss with the perfect boy.

She pulled away, panting, and gazed deeply into Draco's crystal blue-grey eyes. He gazed back into her sparkling emerald ones and closed in for another soft kiss. It was quick, but still filled with all the same emotions as the last.

'Wow,' Tia breathed, leaning her forehead against Draco's, her eyes closed contentedly.

'Ditto,' he whispered back. They stayed that way for a moment: Foreheads touching, eyes closed, hands entwined. It was a very intimate moment and neither of them wanted to be the one to break it. Eventually, they both sat back.

Draco pulled Tia close, laying her head on his chest, and wrapping his arm around her shoulders once more. They stared into the fire in a comfortable silence. They both jumped as the clock struck five.

'Well, I guess we should get back to our common rooms,' Draco said, half hoping she would refuse to go. But she stood up, pulling him with her.

'Yeah, Ron and Hermione will be worried if I don't stop in before I go to my room.'

'What do you mean "your room"?' he asked, intrigued, following her to the door.

'Oh, well, since I don't quite go with either gender, sort of, Professor McGonagall gave me my own private room. It's wicked cool! It has a bedroom, a common room, and a mini-kitchen! You should totally check it out sometime,' she said eagerly, not quite noticing how that sounded.

'I plan to,' Draco said, smirking a bit. 'Well, you mustn't keep Ron and Hermione waiting up all night,' he said teasingly. 'Get going! I'll see you after dinner to check out that mini-kitchen of yours.' He gave her a smile, a kiss on the forehead, and headed off to the Slytherin common room.

Tia sighed and leaned against the wall, her eyes closed, getting her thoughts together. Then she proceeded to the Gryffindor common room. The moment she stepped through the portrait hole she stopped, for the sight before her struck her as quite funny for some reason.

Ron and Hermione were snogging very thoroughly on the couch, people sniggering quietly on all sides, though they took no notice. Tia snuck up behind the couch, stood directly behind them, and said, 'Hi, you two lovebirds,' very loudly and energetically.

The couple gasped and broke apart, Ron falling sideways onto the floor in his surprise.

'Tia!' he yelled. Tia didn't hear him. She was doubled up, holding her sides, her eyes streaming with laughter. 'What's so funny?' he demanded hotly, picking himself up and dusting off his jumper.

'It's just that it took you two so long to figure it out, but you sure aren't wasting any time with it, are you?' Tia teased, straightening up. Hermione blushed and Ron's ears reddened slightly, an indication of his embarrassment as well.

'Well, thanks for breaking up that intimate moment, Tia,' Hermione said sarcastically, crossing her arms in a huff. 'You don't see us bursting in on you and Malfoy, do you?'

'W-wait, Malfoy?!' Ron stammered, looking bewildered. 'What do you mean "her and Malfoy"?'

'Ron, you really don't use your eyes, do you?' Tia said, plopping down on the sofa beside Hermione. 'Why did you think I was with Draco at the Three Broomsticks this afternoon? Why did you think I sat with him instead of you two? Why do you think I ran off with him in the middle of a Hogsmeade visit? Honestly, you are one of the slowest people I have ever met!'

Ron swelled indignantly. 'Well…I-I…ugh! You girls are so annoying! How was I supposed to know you were da…dat…' He didn't seem to be able to say it, so appalled at the idea he was. '_Dating_ Malfoy?' he finally spat out, the words sounding positively corrosive.

'Well, obviously not with your staggering intellect,' Tia said waspishly, standing up to face him. Harry had never been as tall as Ron, but Tia was ever shorter, barely reaching his chin. 'And it's really none of your business who I date, now is it?'

'But it's _Malfoy_, Tia! He's an evil git! Why are you so smitten with him now when you always sided with me against him when you were Harry?' he asked, his ears now red with anger instead of embarrassment. 'What's happened to make you think you can trust him?'

'I talked to him, actually got to know him, something you never took the time to even attempt!' Tia yelled at him. People were staring by now but she and Ron ignored them. 'He's really not that bad. Despite what you might think, just because the rest of his family are Death Eaters doesn't make him one. He's on our side, he's just not allowed to say it.'

'What in the name of Merlin are you talking about?' Ron yelled back. 'He let Death Eaters into the school last year! He nearly killed Dumbledore! How can you forgive him all that?'

'Because he didn't actually do anything wrong!' Tia said, knowing full well that that was a lie. 'Well, he did do wrong but he didn't mean any of it. He had no choice. You don't know what he's gone through. I do! Hasn't anyone ever told you not to judge a book by its cover? Well, guess what! Draco Malfoy is one complicated book!' she yelled.

Tia stomped out of the common room, leaving Ron gaping at her retreating back. 'What the bloody hell what that all about?' she heard him ask Hermione. Hermione just sighed.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Tia stomped through the portrait hole to her private common room and sat down on the couch, seething.

'_Oh! That stupid Ron! Who does he think he is anyway? What say does he have in who I date? He never knew my real opinion of Draco anyway, and I don't plan on telling him anytime soon. I could never be totally honest with Ron, but I can with Draco,'_ she thought, her anger beginning to melt away at the thought of him.

Tia stood up, took a deep breath, and proceeded down to the Great Hall for dinner. When she got there, it was still nearly empty, as dinner was not starting for a few minutes yet, but she did spot Draco sitting alone at the empty Slytherin table. She cautiously approached and, meeting no resistance from anyone else, sat down beside him.

'Hey, Draco,' she said, giving him a peck on the cheek. He beamed at her.

'Hey, Tia,' he said, a sparkle in his eyes. 'What's up? You look worried.'

'Well, Ron was too slow to notice that we were together at the Three Broomsticks, and therefore he thought I was withholding our relationship from him, which he thinks is the ultimate sin anyway. "But, Tia, it's Malfoy! You can't date Malfoy! I thought you hated Malfoy!" All that kind of thing,' she said dejectedly. Draco hugged her tightly.

'It's okay, I'm sure I'll get the same crap from Pansy, and Blaise, and Crabbe, and Goyle,' he said. '"But, Draco, she's a Gryffindor! She used to be Potter! I thought you hated Potter!"' he said, imitating Pansy's shrill voice. Tia chuckled.

'As long as I'm not suffering alone,' she said. She kissed him lightly. She turned as she heard a wolf whistle from across the hall; Ginny was smirking at them from the Gryffindor table. Tia rolled her eyes, kissed Draco on the cheek again, and stood up. 'Well, I guess I better go see Ginny before she starts yelling things at us,' she sighed. 'Still coming by to see my rooms?' she asked hopefully.

'Wouldn't miss it for the world,' Draco said, smirking at her. She giggled again and returned to the Gryffindor table, sitting down across from Ginny.

'What in the name of Merlin was that for?' she hissed, scowling at the red-head.

'Nothing. You just make a cute couple,' she answered innocently. 'You're going to face a lot of opposition, though. Not many people will accept you for what you are, especially if you turn back into a guy.'

'What do you mean?' Tia asked suspiciously, eyeing Ginny shrewdly.

'I knew,' she stated simply. She elaborated. 'I knew you were gay.' Tia glanced around them and shushed her hurriedly.

'Keep it down! How did you figure that out?' she hissed.

'I just read the signs,' Ginny said. 'You were always watching the guys more than the girls, however discreet you may have been. You could never concentrate in whatever classes you shared with Malfoy. You hardly ever dated. You were always flirting with Mal-'

'Wait! I never flirted with Draco when I was Harry,' Tia protested. She thought she had been most careful about her crush on him.

'Oh, yes, you did, Tia,' Ginny accused in a singsong voice. 'You were always quick to insult him and fight with him. That's usually a sign of affection. Or, more often, a way of denying your affections or trying to cover them up. Just look at Ron and Hermione! They fight all the time! But it was just to try and break the 'perfect couple' image and convince people they didn't like each other, even though they did. Same with you and Malfoy. Fighting equals love,' she finished.

Tia stared at her. Had she really been that obvious? Well, evidently not, because no one else had noticed, not even Hermione. Only Ginny. Maybe Ginny had paid more attention because she had always liked Harry. Then she started dating other boys when she realized Harry was gay.

'Right,' Tia muttered, beginning to eat, more to give herself something to do than because she was actually hungry. She had lost her appetite.

Hermione and Ron joined them in about ten minutes. Hermione sat next to her but Ron sat across from her and refused to speak at all. Tia sighed and rolled her eyes.

She ate distractedly, sneaking glances at Draco from across the hall and smiling demurely at him. Ron seemed to take these looks as personal insults; he made a funny tutting noise every time Tia caught Draco's eye, and glared at her all through dinner.

Finally Tia saw Draco lay down his fork. She hopped out of her seat, said a hurried goodbye to Hermione and Ginny--Ron didn't say anything, he just glared--and beckoned Draco to follow her into the Entrance Hall.

'Oo! You get to see my rooms now! Just wait, they're adorable,' she squealed, taking him by the hand and pulling him along corridors. They arrived outside her dormitory shortly.

'I won't give you the password now, but maybe later,' Tia said tantalizingly. She whispered the password and pushed the portrait hole open, spreading her arms wide proudly.

Draco stepped through and gave the place an appraising look, looking mildly impressed. He plopped down on the couch and bounced a few times, checking how soft and comfy it was. He examined the rest of the rooms and came back, grinning at her.

'This is one nice place you got here,' he said, putting his arm around Tia. 'Much better than my dorm. It's all depressing and dark. It's underground, you know--' he began.

'Uh, yeah, I kind of _do _know,' Tia said uncomfortably, stepping out from under his arm. Might as well tell him now. 'Me and Ron sort of used Polyjuice Potion in our second year to check and make sure that you weren't the heir of Slytherin,' she said hesitatingly.

Draco stared at her.

'You did _what_?' he sputtered, looking highly offended.

'Yeah. You remember when Hermione was in the hospital wing with her face all hairy? That was because she accidentally used cat hair for the potion instead of Millicent Bulstrode's. Ron and I became Crabbe and Goyle and came down to see you. That was us you found with Percy and…yeah.'

Draco stared at her. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a long sigh. He sat down on the couch, looking thoughtful.

'Well…that's good to know,' he said slowly. The corners of his mouth were twitching up in a repressed smile. Tia dropped down beside him and looked imploringly at him.

'Forgiven?'

'Forgiven,' he said with a sigh. He put his arm around her again, kissed her lightly, and leaned his head on the top of hers. It was warm and comfy, sitting there, nestled together tenderly. Tia started giggling.

'What's so funny?' Draco asked lightly.

'Nothing, I was just thinking of something Ginny said at dinner,' Tia said, looking up at him and smiling sweetly. 'She said we make a cute couple. I can't say I disagree,' she said complacently, snuggling closer into his chest. Draco chuckled, too.

'Yeah, we are cute, aren't we?' he said. He sighed. 'I'm going to get so much flack for this when I get back but, right now, I don't care.'

'That is so sweet,' Tia cooed. 'I just wish Ron wasn't so thick-headed. He still thinks you're an evil Death Eater bent on taking over the world alongside Voldemort, or something,' she said grumpily. She noticed that Draco, like most of the Wizarding world, flinched whenever anyone said "Voldemort."

'Yeah,' Draco said glumly.

'He's just so…so…stupid!' Tia spluttered indignantly, her temper flaring suddenly. 'I can't believe he thinks he has the right to tell me who I can and can't date! That is just so pig-headed of him I can't believe it!'

'Sh,' Draco soothed, rubbing a hand down her back. 'Ron can believe whatever he likes. All I care about is if you're happy. And that's all you should care about, too. Ron can just get over himself. If he isn't happy that you're happy, then he's not a real friend, now is he?'

Tia, recognizing the wisdom of these words, sighed as her anger receded. She knew he was right, but that didn't mean she liked it. The minutes ticked by in silence, both of them lost in their thoughts.

'You know, if anyone found us in here alone together, it would look really incriminating,' Tia pointed out. Draco chuckled.

'Yeah,' he sighed. 'I guess I should be getting back to the Slytherin dormitory.' But he made no move to leave. Eventually Tia prodded him persistently in the side until he groaned and heaved himself to his feet.

'Okay, okay!' he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. 'If you really want me to go that badly…' and he trailed off, looking exaggeratedly morose. Tia rolled her eyes, smiling. 'Well, I'll see you tomorrow.' And he left, kissing Tia lightly as he passed.

Tia sighed and floated off to bed contentedly. Her dreams were filled with wonderful imaginings of her and Draco, happiness and prosperity, children and family and friends. She rolled over, fidgeting slightly. A prickling sensation was spreading throughout her whole body, a transformation that would change her life…again…


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Tia sat up and stretched. She felt oddly disproportioned, a little less top-heavy than usual. She yawned and blinked around at her room. For a moment she didn't understand why everything was fuzzy, then she caught sight of the glasses on the bedside table; she hadn't needed them for weeks, why would she need them now?

As she put them on, Tia ran her fingers through her hair like she did every morning. It was short! Tia started to panic. _No, no, not now! This can't be happening…_

Tia jumped up and ran to the bathroom. She stared into the mirror, completely dumbstruck. _She was a he again!_ Harry was back! He ran his hands up and down his body, reveling in his old physique. It was then he noticed that the girl's pajamas he was wearing were uncomfortably tight.

He stripped them off and changed into the outfit he had been wearing when he had transformed the first time. It still fit. Harry, deciding it would lead to awkward questions again if he burst into the Great Hall during breakfast as a boy again, pulled on his invisibility cloak and made his way silently up to the owelry.

He wrote a letter to Hermione, and one to Draco. Each told the recipient to meet him in his rooms, at different times. He sent them off with Hedwig and returned to his dormitory. He paced up and down, waiting anxiously for Hermione to turn up. He didn't have to wait long.

'Tia, I came as soon as I got your let--,' Hermione said, bursting through the door. She fell silent as she caught sight of Harry. She squealed loudly and threw her arms around his neck. 'Oh, Harry! You're you again!'

'Yes, I'm me again,' Harry chuckled, relieved to hear his old voice again. 'But you know, this un-transformation couldn't have come at a more inopportune time; I just got together with Draco, the thing I've wanted to happen for years, and now it'll be all messed up,' he sighed.

'But, Harry, you said that Malfoy admitted to being gay, too,' she said, sitting him down on the couch. 'I don't see a problem here.'

'The problem is,' Harry said exasperatedly. 'that nobody is really as accepting of homosexuality as they pretend to be. It would always be weird around people…people like Ron! I don't want to offend Ron or Draco! And I can't make both happy at once. If I make Ron happy, that would mean leaving Draco just as our relationship is getting started. If I make Draco happy, that would mean sacrificing my friendship with Ron just as it gets back to normal,' he explained.

'Okay, I do see a problem,' Hermione admitted, sounding frustrated. She crossed her arms and legs, jiggling her foot in agitation. 'Well, first you should talk to Draco, let him know you're back to being you. Then you can deal with Ron together. If he's really your best friend he'll accept you for what you are.'

This was sage advice. Hermione left for breakfast with one last bit of clichéd advice: 'Be yourself.' Then Harry resumed his pacing, wondering if Draco had received his note, what his reaction would be to Harry's being a boy again, what on Earth they were supposed to do about all this!

In about a half hour, Harry went to the kitchenette to make himself some breakfast. He decided to make a little extra in case Draco hadn't eaten yet. Some scrambled eggs, french toast, hash browns, and pumpkin juice. He laid them out on the coffee table and continued to pace; he was too agitated to eat.

There was a knock on the door about fifteen minutes later. Harry jumped and practically ran to the door. He stood behind the portrait as he opened it so that anyone walking past the open hole wouldn't be able to see him.

'Tia? Are you okay? What's up?' Draco asked, stepping through the hole and staring around in search of his girlfriend.

Harry closed the portrait hole and stepped out from behind it, grinning in an apologetic sort of way. Draco turned around and froze.

'Harry?' he gaped. 'How did you turn back? _When_ did you turn back?' he asked, looking utterly astounded.

'Yes. I have no clue. Last night,' Harry said in answer to each question. 'But it didn't come at a very good time, did it? What are we going to do now?'

Draco ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. 'I don't really know,' he said slowly. His gaze was still fixed on Harry's, gazing as if enraptured by his intense green eyes.

'I made some breakfast, if you haven't already eaten,' Harry said hesitantly, gesturing to the array of food on the coffee table. Draco slumped down onto the coach and picked up a piece of toast. He munched it, looking thoughtful.

'Harry, you know it's not the relationship that's the problem, right?' Draco asked tentatively. 'I mean, I'd still be with you whether you were a boy or a girl. It's society that's the problem.'

'I know. That's what I was telling Hermione earlier,' Harry sighed, sitting in an adjacent chair and rubbing his temples. 'Are we really willing to take the risk of partial societal ostracism?'

'Well…' Draco hesitated, looking uneasy. 'I think I am…if y-you are, I mean,' he stammered, his pale cheeks tinged with pink. Harry smiled at him.

'I think I am, too,' Harry said. 'But I have a bit of an extra roadblock. I'm famous! If it gets out I'm gay, I don't know exactly what's going to happen. And Ron…I heard Ron say something about gays creeping him out and I don't want to ruin my friendship with him, or my relationship with you, and it's all really complicated!' he sighed, his smile gone from his face.

Draco sighed again, letting his head droop.

'This is going to be a bit of an issue,' he said, his voice muffled.

Harry transferred to the seat next to Draco. He wanted to comfort Draco, reassure him that everything would work out, that things would be alright, but it felt awkward to do anything physical.

Draco turned to face him, looking pensively at him. 'Draco,' Harry began, but he trailed off, unable to find the words to express himself. He settled to trying to convey his message through eyes, his drilling into Draco's with such intensity that Draco felt his breath hitch in his chest.

'Harry, we can make this work, I'm sure we can,' he said, trying to sound positive. He uncertainly pulled Harry into a hug. The other boy hugged him back, glad that Draco had made the first move.

Draco made up his mind to find a way to dissipate the sheepish air about them. There was one way he could see to do that. As they pulled apart, he leaned in and kissed Harry. Very lightly, just soft and gently, but it got the message across: "I still want you."

Harry stared at him. A smile blossomed on his face, and it was like he had been reborn. He looked alive, happy, not pensive and worried. Draco smiled back at him. They hugged once more, and Draco stood up.

'We should probably tell McGonagall that you've been changed back,' he said. 'To decide if you should be moved back into Gryffindor Tower, and to tell the school, and stuff like that.'

'Right,' Harry said, standing as well. 'But I'm wearing my invisibility cloak; I don't want to start a stampede to get a better look at me like last time,' he added darkly. He picked the cloak up off the table and threw it over himself.

Draco lead the way to McGonagall's office, checking for people all the way. When he reached it, he knocked three times. A crisp, 'Come in,' answered him and he gestured for Harry to enter the office. Harry took off the invisibility cloak and handed it to Draco to hold, and entered.

McGonagall looked up from her papers as he entered, then did a double-take, looking much like Draco had.

'Yeah, I don't know how but I sort of un-transformed,' Harry said unnecessarily. 'I was just wondering what to do now.' McGonagall seemed to shake herself and stood up.

'Well, I would leave you in your personal dormitory, but an announcement must be made to keep you from being ambushed in the Great Hall, I suspect. Other than that, I don't think your schedule or sleeping arrangements will be moved,' she said briskly. 'Don't go into the Great Hall just yet, wait until lunch.'

Harry nodded and turned to leave. His hand was on the knob when McGonagall called him back.

'Oh, and, Potter, good to have you back,' she said gladly. Harry smiled at her and exited the office. Draco was leaning on the wall by the door, running the invisibility cloak through his fingers. He straightened and looked at him curiously.

'I get to keep my private rooms, and my schedule, and stuff like that. She's just going to make an announcement telling people not to jump me at lunch,' Harry said, taking back his cloak. Draco nodded as Harry disappeared beneath the silvery cloak.

Harry's first order of business was to let Ron and Ginny know that he was him again, as he felt they should know before the announcement was made. He told Draco so, and they split. Draco went down to breakfast, and Harry up to Gryffindor Tower, hoping that someone would come out and he could slip in.

Luckily, a small second year girl was just coming out as he approached. He caught the door just before it closed and slipped inside. The common room was nearly empty; everyone was at breakfast. He decided to check the dormitories.

Ron was still asleep, sprawled spread eagle on top of the bed sheets, his mouth hanging open and great, echoing snores issuing from it. Harry thought for a moment of going up, ripping off the cloak and yelling, 'BOO!' but thought that might just be the definition of "rude awakening." Instead, he knocked on the door.

Ron jerked up, not exactly awake, but not quite asleep. He muttered something about pirates and looked wildly around the room. Harry poked a hand out of the bottom of the cloak and waved to get his attention. Ron focused on it and looked confused.

'Tia? Why do you need the invisibility cloak to come into the boy's dormitory?' he ask confusedly. Harry sighed exasperatedly and pulled off the cloak. Ron gasped and nearly fell off the bed.

'Harry!' he yelled. Harry shushed him hastily.

'Ron, keep it down! McGonagall's making the announcement that I'm back to normal at breakfast--which you are missing, by the way--and I don't want anyone knowing till then,' Harry said quietly.

'Harry!' Ron said again, quieter this time. 'How the bloody hell did you get to be a guy again?'

'I have no idea,' Harry said, flopping down on what used to be his bed. It felt familiar and secure, even after two months in a private dorm. 'I went to bed Tia, and woke up Harry. No inkling as to how it happened, though. Weird, huh?'

'Seriously,' Ron said, sounding awed. Then he looked a bit awkward. 'Are you back to all guy, or are you going to have to adjust like you did when you changed the first time?' he asked, averting his eyes. Harry knew he was referring to his sexuality, if he still like men like Tia.

'Uh…I'm not sure yet,' he answered evasively. 'I'll have to be around more people to tell. It's not like I'd hit on my best friend, anyway.' Ron looked immensely relieved at this.

'So who else knows? Am I the first?' Ron asked, looking hopeful.

'Well, no,' Harry said. Ron's face fell a bit but he didn't look overly disappointed. 'I owled Hermione to ask for advice on what I should do about it, and Draco to talk about what we were going to do. We just started our relationship. It really depends on if I ever turn back to full-Harry, in which case we could turn out friends, or if I somehow stay half-girl, gay, in which case we need to talk about staying together, going public that kind of thing.'

Ron was looking awkward again. 'Right,' he said uneasily, averting his eyes. A silence stretched, neither of them looking at the other.

'Well, what _are _you going to do?' Ron asked eventually.

'I don't really know. I guess I'll just have to give it time,' Harry said. 'Hey, do you happen to know where Ginny is? I'd like to let her know, too, before she hears about it from someone else.'

'You may be too late. I think she's already at breakfast. Unless Hermione told her, of course,' Ron said, beginning to get dressed. 'Speaking of breakfast, that's where I'm going. I'm hungry, I'll see you later, Harry.' He finished dressing and left, leaving Harry alone.

'Okay, then, I guess I'll just go kill time till lunch,' Harry said to the empty room, swinging his arms by his sides. He pulled the cloak over himself and crept through the common room. It was slowly filling with people.

McGonagall had obviously already made the announcement; all the people there were buzzing with amazement, gossiping and chattering away about the near-miracle of his second gender-switch. He tiptoed through the crowd, listening intently to see what people were saying. Nothing of interest caught his ear.

He headed back to his dorm, deciding to finish some of the Transfiguration homework he had neglected the night before. He had only just sat down when a great banging came on the door, making him jump.

'Harry!' came an angry voice. 'Harry, you get out here right this very instant! How could you not tell me you were back to yourself? Harry, get out here or I will tell everyone that you are--'

Harry didn't let her finish; He launched himself off the couch and flung the door open, pulling Ginny inside before she could shout the dreaded word: gay.

'Ginny!' Harry whispered indignantly. 'What the hell do you think you're doing, attacking my door?' Ginny glared at him. 'I tried to tell you a few minutes ago but you were already at breakfast. I told Hermione first, then Draco, then Professor McGonagall. Then I went up to tell you and Ron but he said you'd already gone and I knew you'd hear it over breakfast.'

'Well, that's still no excuse,' she decided stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from him.

'Right. So you came all the way over here, demanding to talk to me, and then refuse to do so much as look at me?' Harry asked in confusion.

'Exactly.'

'So you ran halfway across the castle just to give me the silent treatment in person. I'm impressed. That seems almost as pigheaded as Ron, congratulations,' Harry said, clapping in mock enthusiasm. Ginny let out an involuntary snort of laughter, literally. Harry put his arms around her from behind, rocking her back and forth.

'Gin, you know I love you, right? Just as much as Ron does, and you know he does too, don't try to deny it,' he said teasingly.

'Yeah, and I love you. And Ron too I guess,' she added begrudgingly, though her smile belied her joke. She turned around and hugged him properly. 'Sorry I freaked out, I just didn't want to find out from someone else.'

'I know, and I'm sorry I couldn't find you to tell you, but that's your fault, now isn't it?' Harry said. 'But, as a proper apology, want anything to eat? I have a kitchenette.'

'Wicked,' Ginny said, flopping down on the couch he had just vacated, propping her feet up on the table imperiously. 'Make me food.'

'Coming right up, Gin,' Harry laughed, glad to have his old life, and his old friends, all back to normal. Or, as normal as it ever was around him.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Harry sat up in bed and stretched, relishing the feel of his old body back again. He had never known how much he liked being a male until that was taken away. Wow, that was something he never expected to realize. Well, not in that way, at least. He dressed in the clothes he had brought back from his room in Gryffindor Tower and practically skipped down the corridor toward the Great Hall.

The Hall was only half filled with people, it being Saturday morning and all, so he didn't have to deal with the rush that he would later. Still, several people came over to talk to him, ask him how he changed, if he was feeling well, that sort of thing. He answered them all to the best of his limited knowledge, listening to his voice, suddenly noticing how low it was in comparison to his Tia-voice. Once again, the things you don't notice.

It wasn't until Draco walked in, though, that he remembered his crisis from the night before, with how relieved he was to be returned to normal again. They smiled at each other from across the room, trying to be discreet, but didn't dare meet in public yet. They were supposed to be enemies, and straight, so they couldn't very well date openly. Harry pushed his eggs around his plate, thinking.

"Harry!" Hermione called, rushing to sit down across from him, beaming ear to ear. "It's so good to see you as a boy again. Even if it was good to have a girl best friend for a while. Are you readjusting well?"

"If you could call it that," Harry said, smiling back at her with a little less vigor than he had been feeling a few moments ago. "I'm a little confused as to what to do about my whole Draco problem, but that can wait till tonight, at least. It's not exactly a pressing issue, since I have my own room and all. I think McGonagall will let me keep it, just in case I regress, or something, later."

"Well, that's wonderful, Harry. I think it's great that you still want to work things out with Malfoy. If you see something in him, I guess he can't be all that bad," she said, rolling her eyes with a affectionate smile. "Ron and Ginny will be down in a few minutes. Me and Ginny had to practically drag Ron out of the bed, and he didn't wake up until I shot water at him from my wand. He was pissed, but he'll get over it when he sees the food."

"Hey, do you still like him?" Harry asked in what he hoped was an offhand tone, rather than the amused teasing way he had thought it up in. Hermione flushed and looked immediately down at her food.

"No, of course not," she said, eating quickly and talking fast. "I mean, why would I? It's not like there are many redeeming qualities to him. He's an obnoxious, insensitive pig with no tact and the emotional range of a teaspoon! Who would possibly like that? Who could?"

"You did, last year. And judging by the defensive rambling, I'd say you still do," Harry said, a bit of the teasing slipping out as he smiled slyly at her. She frowned at him, but didn't correct him. "Oh, you know he does have redeeming qualities. He's not all that bad. He may not be the most powerful wizard around, or have the best work ethic, but he can really pull out some moves and performs well under pressure. He may not be all that emotional, on the outside, but he can be sensitive when the time really calls for it. He's fiercely loyal, knows who his friends are, and most definitely has a lot of passion in a fight, relationship, life in general. You have to admit that that makes for a good guy," he said serious.

"Sounds like you have a bit of a crush on him yourself, Harry," Hermione said coolly.

"No, I do not," he replied. "Last year, before I realized I was gay, but after I noticed you liked him, I compiled a list of all the possible reasons you would like him. These traits aren't apparent to most people because they haven't known him as long as we have. I've been friends with him even longer than you have, so I know him inside and out. And, now, I know exactly why you like him. If he wasn't my best friend, and I didn't have Draco, I probably would like him. He's a nice guy…usually," he added with a grin.

They had to stop their little analysis short because Ron himself turned up, groggily rubbing sleep out of his eyes, Ginny in tow.

"Why, Hermione, why?" he asked grumpily as he dropped into the seat next to her. "Why in the world did you have to wake me up at nine o'clock on a Saturday morning?"

"Oh, shut up, you big baby," Ginny sighed, taking the seat by Harry.

"Let's add lazy to our list of traits," Harry whispered to Hermione, who giggled quietly.

"What was that?" Ron asked, shoveling kippers into his mouth.

"Oh, nothing," Hermione said, quickly putting on a serious face to try and hide her laughter. It didn't work. "Really, it's nothing. Anyway! Harry, you're going to be back on the Quidditch team now, right?"

"I had better be," he said nervously. "That's what's kept me sane through all the homework, exams, periods where everybody hated me, all of that. I need that game. I haven't flown in weeks! Ron, will you go down and fly with me later?"

"Sure, mate," Ron said, his words hard to understand through his mouthful of cornflakes. He swallowed. "I haven't flown in a while either. Practices haven't been held as often since you were 'on leave,' or however I put it in the notices. The team sort of fell apart without you. Hopefully, we won't get squashed by Ravenclaw in the next match."

"We won't," Harry said. "I'll make sure of it. I'll play all the positions if I have to, but we will not lose that game, or any to follow it." Over Ron's shoulder, he saw Draco stand up, make eye contact, and jerk his head toward the door. "I'm gonna go and check that I did all my homework," he said, standing up as well. "I'll see you around noon, okay, Ron?"

"Sure, mate," he said distractedly. Harry patted him on the head condescendingly as he walked by, following Draco out of the hall. He followed him for a moment before they came to the same alcove he had first asked him out in. They slipped inside.

"Why exactly are we in here again?" Harry asked. It seemed more cramped now that he was a guy again; Tia must have been considerably smaller.

"I don't know. I just don't know how people will react if they saw us talking in any sort of friendly, or even civil, manner," Draco said. "Do we know if we're going to tell anyone yet?"

"I say that we stay friends in the public eye, for now," Harry said thoughtfully. "Since they know you dated Tia for a few days, it would stand to reason that I wouldn't hate you when I'm Harry again. We could be friends logically, and maybe tell people about 'us' later."

"Makes sense, I guess," he said. "What do you mean, 'in the public eye'?"

"Just that. I still get to keep my private rooms, so we can date in secret there. And I have an invisibility cloak if we want to go to that wonderful clearing of yours sometime."

"You have an invisibility cloak?" Draco asked, surprised. "Lucky bugger. I've always wanted one of those, but they're too expensive even for me. How in hell did you get one?"

"Family heirloom. Dumbledore gave it to me for Christmas first year, said my father left it with him. Been using it ever since, to sneak around and create all kinds of mischief. Without it, I would have been expelled _so_ long ago," Harry chuckled. "I'll show you sometime. Hey, do you want to come down to the pitch with me and Ron, and help me get reacquainted with a broom? If I can get Ginny to come, too, we can get a two-on-two game going," he said hopefully.

"Sure. As long as you persuade that red-headed git not to rip my head off. And I promise I won't attack him unless you give me permission," Draco said, almost sneering but not quite. "Does he know you're gay yet, or are you planning not to tell him?"

"Well, I've told him that I'm not sure what I am right now because I still have the female hormone transition thing going on, but that I'm probably going to end up friends with you anyway. I'm pretty sure I can hold him back if he tries anything, and Ginny's a wiz with hexes. If I can't stop him, she sure can. You have nothing to worry about, I promise."

"Okay, that works. I have nothing else to do today, and definitely no one better to spend it with," Draco said. With just a hint of hesitancy, he put his arms around Harry and kissed him lightly. He still wasn't used to being physical with another man yet, but he didn't have any qualms about it. It was just a little awkward, unpracticed, if you will. "What time?"

"I told Ron noon," Harry said, beaming at him. "See you then. Oh, and one more for luck?" he said flirtatiously. Draco kissed the smaller boy again, a little more confidently. "I'm all set, then. See you at noon." Then he slipped out of the alcove and ran to get his firebolt, practically glowing with happiness.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he pushed off from the ground, shooting upward like a rocket on his firebolt. He watched in fascination as the grass disappeared beneath him and the clouds rushed down to meet him. He smiled and sped off around the golden goal posts, the wind throwing his head back ferociously. He flattened himself on the handle of his broomstick and flew faster and faster down the pitch. It had been too long since he had flown, way too long.

"Hey, Potter! I see I still have my competition!" Harry slowed his speed and looked to see who had called, smiling. Draco was leaning at the entrance to the pitch, smirking up at him in an affectionate kind of way. "Good news is, you've still got it. Bad news is, you still have to beat me." He, too, leapt on a broom and sped up to meet him. They circled each other in mock-predatory fashion, glaring playfully at one another.

"It feels so _good_ to be back up here again," Harry said, throwing in a loop-the-loop just for fun. "I can't believe I didn't fly the whole time I was a girl."

"I can. It probably would have been hard to get used to the new seating arrangements," Draco said suggestively. Harry flushed a bit but nodded. "Balance issues, I suspect. And we don't want you falling off again, now, do we?"

"No, we do not." Harry flew off swiftly and continued making frenzied laps of the pitch, blowing off as much excited energy as he could in one go.

"Okay, okay, Harry! Calm down or you'll give yourself a hernia," Draco yelled, not even bothering to try and keep up with him. Harry came back to hover beside him, looking a bit jittery but very happy.

"I'm just excited. I didn't notice how much I missed flying," Harry said. He flew a little closer. "I was a little preoccupied," he said in a low voice. Draco smirked at him.

"Yeah. I do that to people," he said conceitedly. Harry rolled his eyes and leaned in for a quick kiss before flying off once more. "Did you get Ginny to come down for the two-on-two?" he called after him.

"Yeah. She and Ron will be down here in a minute or two," Harry said, his voice faint as he zoomed around the other end of the field. "We should be okay for the moment." Draco flew towards him and kept pace, smirking at him, as well as he could on his lesser broom. Harry slowed down a bit to match his speed, and they eventually slowed to a stop. Yet another kiss, slower this time, more thorough.

"Oi!"

"Shit," Harry muttered as they broke apart. He could just catch sight of Ron's red hair sprinting back up toward the castle, obviously horrorstruck. Ginny was standing, looking stricken, at the entrance, and they flew down to meet her. "What's the damage?" Harry asked, dreading the awkward conversations and explanations that would spawn from this moment.

"Pretty bad," she said. "As soon as he figured out what he was seeing, he turned bright red and started sputtering. He looked like he was having some kind of fit. And then he yelled and ran off."

"She knows?" Draco asked quietly.

"She knew even before Hermione knew," Harry said. "Figured it out on her own, too. Smart one. How much explaining do you think it will take to get Ron to understand it?" he asked Ginny again.

"I don't know. I really don't know," she said sadly. "I never exactly interviewed him on his feelings about gays, so it's sort of uncharted territory, even for me. You might just want to leave him alone for a while, let him come to his own terms with it. Then you can try to make him understand. It might take a while, or it might be irreversible. You know how stubborn he can be. But he knows you, you're nearly brothers, so I think he'll come around. Eventually." Sighing, she patted him on the shoulder supportively, gave Draco a nod, and turned to leave.

"Gin?" Harry said. She turned. "Thanks. Just…thanks." She smiled at him, waved, and returned to the castle. "Well…that's not exactly the way _I_ imagined him finding out. How 'bout you?"

"Not so much my idea of it, either," Draco said. He put his arm around the smaller boy. "But we can get through this, you hear? And if he doesn't want you to be happy, that's his problem, not yours." Harry sighed heavily and nodded, holding onto Draco's arm around his shoulders.

"Yeah. I guess. But I really want this to work out," he said quietly, feeling as though the balloon of happiness in his chest had gotten a puncture at the very thought of it not. Draco gave his hand a squeeze and kissed him on the top of the head, effectively ruffling his already wind-swept hair.

"It will," he promised.


End file.
